The National Basketball League Cup, often shortened to the NBL Cup, was a midseason tournament for the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) played during the 2020–21 season.[1] The tournament was discontinued after one season.[2]
| Most recent season or competition: 2021 NBL Cup | |
 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 21 December 2020 |
| Organising body | National Basketball League |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country | Australia (9 teams) New Zealand (1 team) |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Most recent champion(s) | Perth Wildcats (1st title) |
| Most titles | Perth Wildcats (1 title) |
| Sponsor(s) | Hungry Jack's |
| Official website | NBLCup.com.au |
History
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On 21 December 2020, the Australian National Basketball League established the first NBL Cup to be held in Melbourne, Victoria, with all nine NBL teams taking part in the tournament from 20 February to 14 March. The majority of the 36 games were scheduled to be played at John Cain Arena (formerly Melbourne Arena), with a small amount scheduled for the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South, Melbourne.[3] All nine NBL teams moved to Melbourne for the 2021 NBL Cup.
The 36 games counted towards the 2020–21 NBL season and, in a first for the league, would also decide the winner of the inaugural NBL Cup with total prize money of $300,000. Every team played each other once; the team with the most points at the end of the 36 games was awarded the NBL Cup and $150,000 in prize money. The runner-up received $100,000 and third place received $50,000.[4] The ladders included three points for a win, one point for each quarter won, and half a point for tied quarters.[5][6]
On 14 March 2021, the Perth Wildcats won the inaugural NBL Cup with a 7–1 record in eight games played.[7] Bryce Cotton led all scorers with 26.9 points and teammate John Mooney led all rebounds with 12.3 per game. Adelaide 36ers rookie Josh Giddey led all assists with 7.4 per game.
At the completion of the NBL Melbourne Hub, teams returned to regular home-and-away schedules.
The NBL Cup was not continued in the 2021–22 season.[2] In May 2023, the league raised the potential for a return of a cup tournament in the future.[8]
Finals
edit| Year | Winner | Record | Runners-up | Third place | Venue(s) | Location | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBL Cup | |||||||
| 2021 | Perth Wildcats | 7–1 | S.E. Melbourne Phoenix | Brisbane Bullets | John Cain Arena | Melbourne, Victoria |  Bryce Cotton (26.9)
|
| State Basketball Centre | |||||||
Titles by team
edit| Team | Wins | Winning seasons | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Wildcats | 1 | 2021 | — | — |
| S.E. Melbourne Phoenix | 0 | — | 2021 | — |
| Brisbane Bullets | 0 | — | — | 2021 |
See also
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References
edit- ^ Uluc, Olgun (5 February 2021). "NBL releases inaugural NBL Cup fixture". ESPN.com.au. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ a b "NBL22's scheduled November 18 launch in some doubt: Loeliger". ESPN.com.au. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "NBL's Biggest Show Ever to Take Over Melbourne". nbl.com.au. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "NBL Cup unveiled: 'The biggest event we have ever staged'". sbs.com.au. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "NBL Cup a Slam Dunk for Sports Fans". nbl.com.au. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Winner Of The NBL Cup". nblcup.com.au. 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "Wildcats complete NBL Cup with dazzling comeback". nbl.com.au. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "New NBL CEO eyes Gather Round-style basketball event, expansion, next broadcast deal and more". heraldsun.com.au. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.